China Completes National Inventory of 2,193 Covered Bridges

China has completed the first comprehensive national inventory of its covered bridge cultural heritage, identifying 2,193 covered bridges across 15 provinces and regions — a 61 percent increase from the 1,355 bridges initially screened when the effort began in 2023. The milestone was announced as part of the Covered Bridge Protection Three-Year Action Plan, jointly launched by the Central Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the National Cultural Heritage Administration, according to Xinhua News.

A First-of-Its-Kind Survey

The inventory marks the first time a nationwide cultural heritage survey has precisely counted individual architectural structures to the level of single buildings. All 2,193 bridges have completed basic information collection and image recording, while 767 have undergone detailed surveying and mapping, and 247 have received fine-grained documentation. The effort has also produced panoramic image preservation for 198 bridges.

Fujian leads the nation with 547 covered bridges, followed by Hunan with 516 and Zhejiang with 296. Notably, the discovery of 18 bridges in Gansu and 6 in Shanxi has broken the long-held assumption that covered bridges exist only in southern China, as Guangming Daily reported.

Why Covered Bridges Matter

Covered bridges — known in Chinese as langqiao — are roofed structures built over rivers and streams that have served as transportation links, communal gathering spaces, marketplaces, and sites for prayer and ceremony for over two millennia. Most surviving examples date from the Ming, Qing, and Republican eras, constructed using intricate wooden joinery that requires no nails or bolts.

“The communication function of covered bridges is comprehensive,” Lou Jianlong, director of the Fujian Museum, told People’s Daily. “In physical space, they connect and span; from a research perspective, they connect ancient and modern; and emotional communication is their unique feature.”

These structures face significant threats from flooding, fire, wood decay, and insect damage. The 2016 Typhoon Meranti destroyed three nationally protected covered bridges in Taishun County, Zhejiang, within just two hours, while a major fire in 2022 devastated most of the Wan’an Bridge in Fujian — China’s longest existing wooden arch covered bridge.

Systematic Protection and Restoration

The three-year action plan, launched in May 2023, represented a shift from single-site emergency repairs to a comprehensive, systematic approach. It integrated the covered bridge survey into the Fourth National Cultural Heritage Census and established a complete chain from investigation and recording to restoration, prevention, and community engagement.

The results have been substantial. According to National Cultural Heritage Administration figures, 177 protection and restoration projects have been implemented with an investment of 190 million yuan, alongside 107 safety and fire protection projects costing 77 million yuan. Central, local government, and social forces have invested a combined 286 million yuan in the protection effort.

Nine local regulations and rules for covered bridge protection have been issued, and 61 bridges were elevated to provincial-level cultural relic protection units during the three-year period. Zhejiang’s Taishun County implemented a “one bridge, one strategy, one specialist” system covering all 32 ancient covered bridges, supported by a real-time monitoring platform that tracks water levels, fire risks, weather, and structural safety.

Technology Meets Tradition

The protection initiative has deployed cutting-edge technology alongside traditional craftsmanship. UAV aerial photography and 3D laser scanning have replaced traditional measuring tools, while impedance meters and stress wave detectors inspect wood interiors for hidden decay. AI-powered fire detection, water level warning systems, and satellite remote sensing now form a “human + physical + technical” three-dimensional protection network.

At the same time, traditional construction skills have experienced a revival. National-level inheritor Zeng Jiakuai, who led the restoration of Wenxing Bridge after the 2016 typhoon, has built 21 new wooden arch bridges and trained eight apprentices — including his daughter, breaking the traditional “passed only to sons” practice. As CNR reported, Zeng emphasized that “building bridges is a matter of conscience — you must honor your ancestors and future generations.”

UNESCO Recognition

A landmark achievement came in December 2024, when the “Chinese Wooden Arch Bridge Traditional Construction Techniques” was successfully transferred from UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity — the first case globally of such a transfer. The milestone marked the technique’s evolution from “endangered” to “normal transmission.”

Community Guardianship

The human dimension of covered bridge protection is perhaps its most distinctive feature. After the 2016 Taishun disaster, villagers spontaneously organized rescue efforts, wading through waist-deep floodwaters to recover bridge components. Over 95 percent of large and medium components were recovered, and the restoration reused more than 90 percent of original materials.

“The covered bridge is our family’s ancestor,” one bridge keeper told Zhejiang Online. “Taking care of our ancestor is only natural.” Another recalled: “When the flood came, people didn’t go to save their own belongings — they all went to retrieve bridge components. If the bridge stands, the village stands.”

Today, a new generation is carrying this legacy forward. Weng Zeyi, a post-1995 bridge keeper, has opened a café beside Wenxing Bridge in Taishun, where visitors ask him about the bridge’s history. “Keeping the bridge isn’t just being there; it’s also protecting it,” he said. “People are attracted to Wenxing Bridge and come to the café asking about it, and I share what I’ve learned through my time keeping the bridge.”

Cultural Revival and Tourism

The protection initiative has also generated economic and cultural benefits. Seven themed cultural relic routes have been developed, including the Fujian-Zhejiang “Covered Bridge Wonderland” route, which was selected as one of the top 10 national cases. Zhejiang’s Taishun County has created the first national-level tourism resort themed around covered bridges, while Guangxi’s Chengyang Yongji Bridge area has become a 5A scenic area, driving employment for over 2,000 people.

An exhibition titled “Guardian — Covered Bridge Protection Three-Year Action Results” opened in August at the China National Arts and Crafts Museum in Beijing, featuring physical models of 35 bridges, construction tools, and a life-size replica wooden arch bridge built by inheritors of the traditional construction technique. The exhibition runs until November 7.

Looking Ahead

As the three-year action plan concludes, officials have signaled that the “15th Five-Year Plan” period will focus on consolidating these achievements. Priorities include continuing environmental protection around bridges, disaster prevention and mitigation, and deepening the collaborative mechanism between cultural relic protection and intangible heritage preservation.

Zhang Zhe, deputy director of the Zhejiang Provincial Ancient Architecture Design and Research Institute, captured the philosophy guiding this work: “The best state is to make covered bridges part of rural life, with local people passing through and resting daily, allowing them to be protected long-term within the warmth of everyday life.”

With 2,193 bridges now documented and protected under a comprehensive national framework, China’s covered bridges — silent witnesses to centuries of rural life — are positioned to endure for generations to come.